Staff, pupils and parents at Beeston Primary School are celebrating their latest Ofsted report which graded the school as ‘Good’, the second highest grade.
The letter from Brian Stillings, the Ofsted inspector says “Teaching standards are high across the school and pupils thrive on producing their best work.”
It goes on: “The personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils are a strength of the school. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school, which are reflected in their work and all that they do. Pupils’ behaviour makes a strong contribution to their learning.”
We spoke to Headteacher Nick Edensor, who has been at the school for the last eighteen months. He was appointed originally on a secondment as a Local Leader in Education, but chose to apply for the permanent position as he had “fallen in love with the school and Beeston.”
“The children here are fantastic,” says Nick. “They are able, bright and well behaved. We have great teachers and there is a real team approach to raising standards. The Governing Body are exceptional and work closely with the senior leadership team as we continue our journey to becoming an ‘Outstanding’ school.”
Last summer’s Year 6 SATS results were the best in the school’s history and they are confident that this year’s will be as good or better. These results are a reflection of improvements at all levels throughout the school.
The school has gone through many changes in the last few years. It has changed from a 2- to 3-form entry and is currently one of the largest primary schools in Leeds. That enlargement has meant building work and consequent disruption.
Work continues but at a more measured pace with improvements to the school’s reception area and outdoor facilities. Nick also has plans for a new computer suite that will complement the library and create a learning hub at the heart of the school.
With teaching and leadership improved Nick is looking towards the children to help take the school to the next level.
“I want our pupils to take responsibility for their learning. We are setting them challenges and they are responding, whether that’s asking more questions or understanding their learning objectives in any given lesson.”
The future certainly looks bright for the school.
A full copy of the inspection report can be found on the Ofsted website here: reports.ofsted.gov.uk/ inspection-reports/find- inspection-report/provider/ ELS/107946
